Abstract
The purpose of this study was to add to the understanding of the effects of perceived parental engagement on adolescents’ academic achievement in immigrant families. Self-report data were collected from 1,245 adolescents in immigrant families from four high schools in Los Angeles County. The sample characteristics follow: 13–16 years old (M = 14.5); 58.9% female, 41.1% male; 57.5% Latino; 40.6% 1st generation youth (i.e., foreign born), 59.4% 2nd generation youth. After controlling for parental educational attainment, parental engagement variables were indirectly related to grades through youths’ academic engagement. Multigroup SEM indicated some differences between genders, generational statuses, and ethnicities (Latinos versus others). Adolescents’ perceptions of monitoring by mothers and fathers were indirectly related to grades through academic engagement. Perceived educational advice by mothers was indirectly related to grades through academic engagement for non-Latinos, boys, and 2nd generation youth. Perceived mothers’ schoolwork help was positively related to adolescents’ academic engagement in all the models (except 2nd generation youth), yet fathers’ schoolwork help was significant only for girls and 2nd generation youth.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aldous, J. (2006). Family, ethnicity, and immigrant youths’ educational achievements. Journal of Family Issues, 27, 1633–1667. doi:10.1177/0192513X06292419.
Alfaro, E. A., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., & Bámaca, M. Y. (2006). Interpersonal support and Latino adolescents’ academic motivation. Family Relations, 55, 279–291. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2006.00402.x.
Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 411–423. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.411.
Arbuckle, J. (1996). Full information estimation in the presence of incomplete data. In G. A. Marcoulides & R. E. Schumacker (Eds.), Advanced structural equation modeling: Issues and techniques (pp. 243–277). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Behnke, A. O., & DeBord, K. (2006). Entérese, involúcrece, y ayude a su hijo. (How to get informed, involved, and really help in your child’s education). Report for Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network (CYFERNET): Retrieved on May 12, 2008 from http://www.ncpen.org/pi_span.pdf.
Bowen, N. K., Bowen, G. L., & Ware, W. B. (2002). Neighborhood social disorganization, families, and the educational behavior of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 17, 468–490. doi:10.1177/0743558402175003.
Bush, K. R., Bohon, S. A., & Kim, H. K. (2005). Adaptation among immigrant families: Resources and barriers. In P. C. McKenry & S. J. Price (Eds.), Families and change: Coping with stressful events and transitions (3rd ed., pp. 307–332). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Bush, K. R., Peterson, G. W., Cobas, J. A., & Supple, A. J. (2002). Adolescents’ perceptions of parental behaviors as predictors of adolescent self-esteem in mainland China. Sociological Inquiry, 72, 503–526. doi:10.1111/1475-682X.00031.
Cheng, S., & Starks, B. (2002). Racial differences in the effects of significant others on student’s educational expectations. Sociology of Education, 75, 306–327. doi:10.2307/3090281.
Coltrane, S., & Adams, M. (2008). Gender and families. New York: Rowan & Littlefield.
Dubow, E. F., Arnett, M., Smith, K., & Ippolito, M. F. (2001). Predictors of future expectations of inner-city children: A 9-month prospective study. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 21, 15–28. doi:10.1177/0272431601021001001.
Elmelech, Y., McCaskie, K., Lennon, M. C., & Lu, H. H. (2002). Children of immigrants: A statistical profile. New York: National Center for Children in Poverty.
Fuligni, A. J. (1997). The academic achievement of adolescents from immigrant families: The roles of family background, attitudes, and behavior. Child Development, 68, 261–273.
Fuligni, A. J., & Fuligni, A. S. (2007). Immigrant families and the educational development of their children. In J. E. Lansford, K. Deater-Deckard, & M. H. Bornstein (Eds.), Immigrant families in contemporary society (pp. 231–250). New York: Guilford.
Ghazarian, S. R., Supple, A. J., & Plunkett, S. W. (2008). Familism as a predictor of parent–adolescent relationships and developmental outcomes for adolescents in Armenian American immigrant families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 17, 599–613.
Hancock, G. R. (2006). Power analysis in covariance structure models. In G. R. Hancock & R. O. Mueller (Eds.), Structural equation modeling: A second course. Greenwood, CT: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Hao, L., & Bonstead-Bruns, M. (1998). Parent–child differences in educational expectations and the academic achievement of immigrant and native students. Sociology of Education, 71(3), 175–198. doi:10.2307/2673201.
Hernandez, D. J., Denton, N. A., & Macartney, S. W. (2007). Family circumstances of children in immigrant families: Looking to the future of America. In J. E. Lansford, K. Deater-Deckard, & M. H. Bornstein (Eds.), Immigrant families in contemporary society (pp. 9–29). New York: Guildford Press.
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.
Jacobson, K. C., & Crockett, L. J. (2000). Parental monitoring and adolescent adjustment: An ecological approach. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 10, 65–97. doi:10.1207/SJRA1001_4.
Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (2004). LISREL 8.72. Chicago: Scientific Software International.
Kao, G. (2004). Parental influences on the educational outcomes of immigrant youth. The International Migration Review, 38(2), 427–449.
Kao, G., & Thompson, J. S. (2003). Racial and ethnic stratification in educational achievement and attainment. Annual Review of Sociology, 29, 417–442. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.29.010202.100019.
Kao, G., & Tienda, M. (1995). Optimism and achievement: The educational performance of immigrant youth. Social Science Quarterly, 76(1), 1–19.
MacCallum, R. C., Browne, M. W., & Sugawara, H. M. (1996). Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure modeling. Psychological Methods, 1, 130–149. doi:10.1037/1082-989X.1.2.130.
Perreira, K. M., Chapman, M. V., & Stein, G. L. (2006a). Becoming an American parent: Overcoming challenges and finding strength in a new immigrant Latino community. Journal of Family Issues, 27, 1383–1414. doi:10.1177/0192513X06290041.
Perreira, K. M., Harris, K. M., & Lee, D. (2006b). Making it in America: High school completion by immigrant and native youth. Demography, 43, 511–536. doi:10.1353/dem.2006.0026.
Plunkett, S. W., & Bámaca-Gómez, M. Y. (2003). The relationship between parenting and adolescent academic outcomes in Mexican-origin immigrant families. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 25, 222–239. doi:10.1177/0739986303025002005.
Portes, A., & MacLeod, D. (1996). Educational progress of children of immigrants: The roles of class, ethnicity, and school context. Sociology of Education, 69, 255–275. doi:10.2307/2112714.
Reardon-Anderson, J., Capps, R., & Fix, M. (2002). The health and well-being of children in immigrant families (Series B, No. B-52). Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.
Ruiz-de-Velasco, J., Fix, M., & Clewell, B. C. (2000). Overlooked and underserved: Immigrant students in U.S. secondary schools. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.
Seginer, R. (2006). Parents’ educational involvement: A developmental ecology perspective. Parenting, Science and Practice, 6, 1–48. doi:10.1207/s15327922par0601_1.
Stolz, H. E., Barber, B. K., & Olsen, J. A. (2005). Toward disentangling fathering and mothering: An assessment of relative importance. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 67(4), 1076–1092. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2005.00195.x.
Suárez-Orozco, C. (2001a). Afterward: Understanding and serving the children of immigrants. Harvard Educational Review, 71(3), 579–589.
Suárez-Orozco, C. (2001b). Psychocultural factors in the adaptation of immigrant youth: Gendered responses. In M. Agosín (Ed.), Women, gender, and human rights: A global perspective (pp. 170–188). Picataway, NJ: Rutgers University.
Suarez-Orozco, C. (2007). Afterword: Reflections on research with immigrant families. In J. E. Lansford, K. Deater-Deckard, & M. H. Bornstein (Eds.), Immigrant families in contemporary society (pp. 311–327). New York: Guilford.
Suárez-Orozco, C., & Qin-Hillard, D. B. (2004). Immigrant boys’ experiences in U.S. schools. In N. Way & J. Y. Chu (Eds.), Adolescent boys: Exploring diverse cultures of boyhood (pp. 295–316). New York: NYU Press.
Suárez-Orozco, C., & Suárez-Orozco, M. (2001). Children of immigration. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Tillman, K. H., Guo, G., & Harris, K. M. (2001). Grade retention among immigrant children. Social Science Research, 35, 129–156.
Tyyskä, V. (2007). Immigrant families in sociology. In J. E. Lansford, K. Deater-Deckard, & M. H. Bornstein (Eds.), Immigrant families in contemporary society (pp. 83–99). New York: Guilford.
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., & Fine, M. A. (2001). Methodological implications of grouping Latino adolescents into one collective ethnic group. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 23, 347–362.
Updegraff, K. A., Crouter, A. C., Umana-Taylor, A. J., & Cansler, E. (2007). Work–family linkages in the lives of families of Mexican origin. In J. E. Lansford, K. Deater-Deckard, & M. H. Bornstein (Eds.), Immigrant families in contemporary society (pp. 250–268). New York: Guilford.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Plunkett, S.W., Behnke, A.O., Sands, T. et al. Adolescents’ Reports of Parental Engagement and Academic Achievement in Immigrant Families. J Youth Adolescence 38, 257–268 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9325-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9325-4